Man's Best Friend
by Sprout2012
Summary: Harry and Draco meet again under unusual circumstances.


**Disclaimer:** Anything you recognize belongs to J.K Rowling, anything you don't is mine – although I wish Draco belonged to me. I am not making any money off of this, it is just for entertainment.

**A/N: **A random quick story that popped into my head – nothing exciting or dramatic happens, just a nice fluffy pre-Drarry.

**Man's Best Friend**

Draco had the afternoon off from his hectic work schedule, and was making the most of the opportunity by going to the near by park. The weather was wonderful, maybe on the too hot side but nothing a cooling charm wouldn't sort.

He also decided that the park was a good option, as he still held out hope that he might find his missing dog. It had been six months since he last saw him, but he would never stop looking. It did pain him when he would see a beagle the same colours as his dog, but then he would get closer and realise that it wasn't his beloved dog.

Draco was lonely, he still had his parents of course, they were spared prison due to Potter – but they returned to the manor. He couldn't face living there again so he moved into a place of his own. Blaise and Pansy offered to live with him until he felt settled enough to be by himself, but he refused. Instead he decided to get a companion – a dog. He didn't want a wizard bred dog. After researching the different breeds of dog, he settled on a Beagle.

From the moment of purchasing his new puppy, Draco was smitten – he named him Oscar. Draco hadn't spent a day without Oscar for five years. Until now, it had been six long months since Oscar had gone missing. Draco refused to get another dog like Pansy suggested. He couldn't do that to Oscar – he had hoped that even after all this time he would find him.

Oscar was such a delightful dog, he was merry, friendly, gentle, playful, and even-tempered. He had a sensitive nature. He would be distant with strangers, it took his friends a while before they won him over.

When researching into Beagles Draco had read that they have highly developed noses and will wander off after interesting smells. For this reason, the owner needed to make sure that they were securely fenced in or on a leash when outdoors or they will wander miles away after a scent. Draco had all sorts of wards and protection around his home, but Oscar still ran away.

Feeling despondent as his thoughts strayed to Oscar, Draco hadn't noticed that a dog was bounding up to him. A sharp bark shook him from his melancholy thoughts, and Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing. His Oscar excitedly rushing back and forth.

Draco slid off the park bench onto the hard concrete floor beside Oscar. He started stroking him and tickling behind his ears. In that moment Draco was the happiest he had been in a very long time.

Draco was far too busy petting his dog to realise that someone had approached them and was staring in shock down at him and Oscar. That was until that person spoke.

"Malfoy what are you doing to my dog?" Potter asked.

Draco snapped his head up, "Your dog!" He sneered.

Potter rolled his eyes, "Yes MY dog. He is wearing a collar with my contact details and I am holding his lead." He stated.

Draco stood and eyed Potter, he was wearing a short sleeved V-neck t-shirt that seemed to suit his frame and Draco reluctantly admitted to himself that Potter looked good – really good.

"I think you will find that this is my dog. He's been missing for six months now and I had thought I'd lost him for good." He answered calmly.

Potter narrowed his eyes, "Prove it." He challenged.

Draco sighed, "Look Potter this dog is mine. I purchased him five, almost six years ago. I've had him since he was a puppy. Six months ago there was a...incident at my home. I was attacked and they somehow breached my wards. In the chaos Oscar had managed to escape and by the time I was discharged from St Mungos he was long gone. I tried everything I could think of to no avail." He explained.

Potter's face softened, "You were attacked? That wasn't in the paper and I didn't hear about it at work." He was genuinely worried.

Draco shrugged, "The attacker got what they wanted and left. I didn't want to press charges, I just wanted to be left alone, so I never told anyone. Pansy took me to the hospital and I just claimed that I had gotten into a fight with someone in the street. The staff at St Mungos don't really care enough to probe. Anyway this is besides the point – where did you find Oscar?" He asked with a smile on his face.

Potter looked down at Oscar and he smiled too, a huge goofy happy smile. "Oscar huh? I would have thought you would name your dog a silly Latin name or after something in Greek Mythology." He teased, it wasn't said as a negative nasty comment, it was light hearted and Draco grinned.

"Nope. What did you name him? Something ridiculous or common like Duke, or Marley, Buster, any stereotypical dogs name." He playfully retorted.

Harry – well now he was calling him Harry and not Potter, Harry laughed – a low rumble that made Draco's eyes dart to his mouth.

"It is quite a popular name, but I had a reason for it. I called the little fella Chance. Before you scoff, I wanted a companion, one that couldn't run to the papers and spew all my secrets. So I went to a muggle re-homing centre for dogs. This little guy was there, and well I fell for him immediately. The lady I spoke to said he was found in the street with no microchip or collar. I thought that coming home with me was his second chance at a decent life, so I named him chance." He informed Draco.

Draco frowned, "I didn't think to check the muggle rescue centres – how stupid of me." He berated himself. He looked at Harry and added, "What's a microchip?"

Harry laughed, "It is a muggle thing, a small microchip the size of a grain of rice is implanted into the pet and then the owners and the pets details are stored onto a database. So if the pet was to ever be stolen or go missing, if someone found them they could scan for a microchip and reunite pet and owner. They..." Harry stopped explaining as Draco looked thoroughly confused.

"Never mind. If it's any consolation he's been with me for basically six months, so he wasn't at the shelter for long." Harry assuaged.

That did make Draco feel better, yes Potter was annoying but he was a 'good guy' and he would have looked after Oscar very well.

Harry really didn't want to lose Chance, but technically he was Draco's dog and had been his dog for longer than he had been Harry's. "How do I know that this is definitely your dog?" He asked in a lame attempt to try and keep Chance, although he knew he would be returning home without a dog.

Draco huffed and surprised Harry by pulling out an apple I-Phone – something Harry never expected Draco Malfoy to possess.

After a few moments of Draco searching through his phone he handed Harry the devise. Harry took it and was presented with Draco's photo album. The first picture was of Chance or Oscar as a puppy, he was very small but it was definitely Chance or Oscar whatever. Harry swiped across and viewed photo after photo of Chance as a puppy, in different situations – one photo in particular had him suppressing a smile. Chance was wearing a muggle cardboard birthday hat and in front of him was a dog bone shaped cake and next to him was a grinning Malfoy in a matching birthday hat.

Harry handed the phone back, "I see. Now what?" He knew what was coming but really didn't want to give Chance up.

Since having him in his life he had been much more relaxed, happier and just generally less stressed about being on his own whilst all his friends were settling down. Harry supposed it didn't help matters that all his friends knew who they were and what they wanted. Harry had wasted so much time thinking he wanted Ginny, or women in general. It took him a long time to figure out in fact he wanted a man in his life. By this point Ginny had already given up on them and they separated on good terms. She was now engaged to Dean. Ron and Hermione were married, as were Neville and Hannah, Luna and Rolf – you name it his friends were either in relationships, engaged or married. He was the odd one out and having Chance cheered him up, going back home to him was nice.

Draco looked sympathetic, he could see that Oscar was clearly taken by Harry and Harry was taken with Oscar. He knew that feeling, he too loved this dog immensely.

"I take him home. Sorry Potter." Draco sincerely answered.

Harry nodded, "I gathered as much. Well this sucks." He joked but the situation was starting to sink in. He was going to lose his companion.

Harry bent down and stroked Chance, "Bye buddy. I'm gonna miss you." He stood and looked to Draco handing him the dog lead, "I'll get in touch with the microchip company and change the details they hold. I had Chance- I mean Oscar microchiped. Owl me your address and I'll get his details amended." With that Harry walked away.

Draco felt bad for Potter, but it was still a good day for him. He had been reunited with Oscar and was finally going to have his best friend back home.

Oscar was whining as he watched Harry leave, Draco knelt down beside him and petted him. "You know what Oscar I don't want Pott- Harry to leave either." He sighed, reattached the lead that Potter gave him and turned and left the park in the opposite direction.

Everything had slotted back into place upon Oscar's return, it felt to Draco like it did before he went missing. However Oscar would occasionally whine – and Draco wondered if he was pinning after Potter.

By the third day the whining at driven Draco crazy, so he put Oscar on a lead and walked him to Potter's house. He wasn't home, but Oscar perked up upon seeing the familiar house. Deciding to wait he sat on the front steps, legs stretched out in front of him and Oscar by his side. Draco had to wait half an hour before Potter returned home. He was wearing his Auror uniform and Draco suddenly understood why so many people had a uniform/dress up fetish.

Draco didn't even attempt to stop Oscar from running up to Harry and yapping at him excitedly. Harry didn't look at Draco he dropped to his knees and let Oscar jump up at him as he petted him.

"I missed you too." He said laughing as Oscar knocked him over.

Draco chuckled at the pair, he could easily sit and watch Harry play with Oscar for hours. Harry seemed more open, relaxed and genuinely happy.

Harry stood and looked at Draco lounging on his front steps. Harry joined him on the steps, sitting next to him, rather close – Draco liked it.

"Hey." Harry said.

"Oscar was driving me mad. I had to bring him over." Draco offered as an explanation for him being here.

Harry grinned, "Thank you."

Draco moved his leg so his leg was next to Harry's brushing against his thigh, "No problem. Maybe we could make this a regular thing. For Oscar of course."

Harry grinned, "Yes that would be nice – for Oscar I mean."

Oscar climbed over Harry's lap, his front end was resting on Draco's leg and his back end on Harry's. Both smiled down at him and then at each other.

And that was how Harry found not only a companion, a friend but a new boyfriend – through joint custody of a dog.

- The End -


End file.
